EDN — 03.14.96 Test & Measurement

Test & Measurement: March 14, 1996

PCMCIA card performs dual-channel signal analysis. Inserted into the PCMCIA Type II slot of any notebook computer, the CI2250 DSP card executes 20 MIPS using a TMS320C51 running at 40 MHz. The hardware design of the C51 allows host access to the DSP's entire external memory space without software intervention. The unit, which consumes about 200 mA at 5V, provides two differential input channels, two output channels, 16-bit A/D and D/A conversion, and a sampling rate as high as 48 kHz. An on-board 32k-word SRAM permits long signal capture and high-resolution spectrum analysis. Prices start at $1995, with basic data-acquisition and output functions. Crystal Instruments, Milpitas, CA. (408) 956-8348.

Optical position sensor mounts easily. An optical position sensor, called the Plug Ready Interrupter Module (PRIM), provides an in-position or position-limit indication at TTL-compatible signal levels. Position is sensed when an opaque flag blocks the PRIM's IR light beam. The unit plugs directly into a 10-pin IDC ribbon cable connector and eliminates soldering and individual wire crimping at the sensor-mounting location. Each pair of PRIMs requires a single 10-conductor ribbon cable. The sensor costs $4.95. Radovan Robotics, Canoga Park, CA. (818) 996-8428.

Subminiature panel meter minds ac line frequency. Housed in an epoxy-encapsulated plastic package, an ac line-frequency monitor has a behind-panel depth of 1 in., including all wiring. The unit measures 1.38×0.88 in. Offered in two standard models, the DMS-20PC-1-FM is intended for 50/60-Hz operations, and the DMS-20PC-2-FM is for 400-Hz aircraft applications. A quartz-controlled embedded µP guarantees accuracy to within ±0.1 Hz over the operating temperature range of -25 to +60°C. You can read the monitor's three-digit, 0.4-in. LED from as far away as 20 ft. The unit costs $50 (100). Datel Inc, Mansfield, MA. (508) 339-3000.

Industrial pressure sensor is hysteresis-free. To virtually eliminate hysteresis, the ST4000 series of pressure sensors uses a near-perfect single-crystal sapphire as the pressure-sensing diaphragm. Housed in a rugged industrial package, the device offers voltage or current outputs and sensing ranges as high as 5000 psi with full-scale accuracies of 0.25 and 0.50%. The stainless-steel sensor costs $249. Bourns Inc, Riverside, CA. (909) 781-5273.

Functional testers feature open, modular architecture. Two functional testers join the Geneva family of modular test-and-measurement systems. The GR-2000 has a modular signal interface and is compatible with test programs and fixtures for the Geneva GR5000, GR9000, and GR-3000 systems. The GR1000e connects to a standard pogo-pin interface and replaces the GR1000. The VXIscan switching subsystem in both systems combines the fixture-interface, signal-switching, and VXIbus instruments. Prices start at $40,000 for the GR2000 and $35,000 for the GR1000e. GenRad Inc, Concord, MA. (508) 287-7000.

Analog tool speeds oscillator design. Release 1B of the Spectre/XL analog-circuit-design tool quickly measures the resonant frequency and harmonic content of oscillator circuits. Release 1B also performs linear-noise and scattering-parameter analysis. The vendor has added support for Spice MOS level 3, including small-geometry effects, and for the BJT model, to include Spice Gummel-Poon lateral pnp devices. An integrated extension of Microsoft Excel, Spectre/XL embeds circuit simulations in Excel for analysis and presentation. Prices start at $795.Avista Design Systems, Folsom, CA. (916) 985-6080.

Autoranging DMMs display analog bar graph. Equipped with a 3200-count, 0.7-in.-high digital display plus an analog bar graph, both the DM30XL and DM35XL autoranging digital multimeters (DMMs) allow viewing of measurement values. Measurement functions include ac and dc volts and amps, resistance, diode test, and continuity check. The DM35XL adds capacitance measurements from 32 µF to 32 mF. A data-hold function freezes the reading on the display for analysis. The DM30XL costs $79.95; the DM35XL costs $99.95. Wavetek Corp, San Diego, CA. (619) 279-2200.

Solar-array simulator programs I-V curve in two modes. With the HP E4350A simulator, you can generate the I-V curve of a solar array using a single box, rather than a number of compiled instruments. The 450W simulator provides a response time of 5 µsec and an output capacitance of <500 nF. A table mode generates accurate curves that can be stored and recalled. A table can have as many as 4000 I-V pairs (curve points), and as many as 30 tables, representing 30 curves, can be stored in memory. A simulation mode generates close approximations of I-V curves based on four basic curve parameters. The E4-350A costs $6350. Hewlett-Packard, Santa Clara, CA. (800) 452-4844, ext 1221.

Updated data-acquisition software adds functions. Visual Designer V3.0, a Windows-based application generator for data acquisition and control, lets you develop custom applications by drawing block diagrams. New to V3.0 are SelectCase and DoWhile blocks that implement conditional statements and looping structures, respectively. A Subgram Block statement lets you nest a diagram within a primary diagram, which you can cut, copy, paste, and minimize to a single icon. Visual Designer supports all of the vendor's data-acquisition hardware. The program costs $995. Intelligent Instrumentation Inc, Tucson, AZ. (520) 573-0887.

EMC-compliant acquisition board boasts 486 CPU. Equipped with a 486SXLC2 processor running at 48 MHz, the DAP 3000a/212 data-acquisition board uses 2 Mbytes of memory and high-speed FIFO buffers to bypass DMA hardware on the host PC for fast data transfers. The analog I/O section of the DAP 3000/212 acquires data at up to 769k samples/sec and updates its two analog outputs at up to 833k samples/sec. The board complies with strict European limits for electromagnetic radiation and runs under DAPL, a multitasking real-time operating system for data acquisition and control. It costs $2595 and includes DAPL 2000. Microstar Laboratories Inc, Bellevue, WA. (206) 453-2345.

12-bit A/D card handles 60M samples/sec. The CompuScope 6012/PCI data-acquisition card for the PCI bus samples analog signals at rates as high as 60M samples/sec, with 12-bit resolution. The two-board set, which consists of the CSx012 analog ISA bus board and the 6012PCI PCI bus board, communicates through a mezzanine bus. Data acquired by the A/D card is stored on the PCI board or transferred directly to the host PC's memory at rates as high as 90 Mbytes/sec over the 32-bit PCI bus interface. Drivers are available for DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows NT, and Windows 95. Prices start at $8995. Gage Applied Sciences Inc, Montreal, PQ, Canada. (514) 337-6893.

RCL meter varies test frequencies to 1 MHz. Offering continuously variable test frequencies from 50 Hz to 1 MHz, the PM 6306 RCL meter tests passive components, including switch-mode power supplies and low-value capacitors and inductors. The instrument also provides continuously variable ac and dc voltage scales, and dc bias can be added to test components, such as electrolytic capacitors and semiconductor junctions. The PC 6306 comes with an IEEE 488 or RS-232C interface and costs $4235. Fluke Corp, Everett, WA. (206) 347-6100.

Calibrator relies on rubidium frequency reference. The PM 6681R calibrator, which integrates a 10-MHz rubidium atomic-frequency reference with six buffered BNC outputs, calibrates frequencies of up to 4.5 GHz. With a frequency drift of <2×10^-10/year, the instrument can be used as a primary reference for calibration labs, operating to a traceability level of 1×10^-9. Frequency resolution is 11 digits/sec, and single-shot time resolution is 50 psec. The PM 6681R costs $12,950. Fluke Corp, Everett, WA. (206) 347-6100.

Analyzer measures true power and watts. Supplied with an RS-232C interface and Windows-based data-acquisition software, the true-rms power analyzer displays watts, power factor or voltamperes, voltage or hertz, and amps for monitoring power consumption of single-phase devices. Measurement ranges in-clude autoranging ac and dc watts from 0.1 to 2000W, accurate to within ±0.9%; power factor from 0 to 1 with 0.01 resolution; and frequency from 1 Hz to 20 MHz. Autoranging true-rms voltage and current ranges are 0.1 to 750V and 0.1 to 20A. The analyzer operates with batteries or an optional ac adapter and costs $799. Extech Instruments Corp, Waltham, MA. (617) 890-7440.

Turnkey systems make board testing affordable. Turnkey test systems based on the FT-100 programmable functional tester provide low-cost testing of digital and analog circuits and assemblies for small and medium manufacturers. Standard and custom expansion modules implement almost any I/O configuration. Free test consultation is available for all test systems. The FT-100 has an introductory price of $3900. Y-tec Inc, Raleigh, NC. (919) 676-4741.

DMM doubles as component tester. In addition to core digital- and multimeter (DMM) functions, the DM16XL offers measuring modes for frequency; capacitance; and logic, transistor, continuity and diode tests. Measurement ranges include ac and dc volts to 600V, current to 10A, resistance from 200 Ohm to 20MOhm, capacitance to 20 µF, and a 15-MHz frequency counter. The meter has a fused 10A current jack and test leads that are covered in plastic to guard against shock. The DM16XL costs $99.95. Wavetek Corp, San Diego, CA. (619) 279-2200.

PDH/SDH analyzer expands optical analysis capabilities. Enhancements to the SF-60 PDH/SDH error and jitter analyzer extend its coverage to 2-Mbps signals with n×64-kbps structuring schemes. You can use the modular instrument for evaluating optical communications interfaces used in audio and video systems, LAN links, and military and commercial monitoring devices. Additionally, the SF-60 performs ITU-TM.2100 analysis to detect link impairments before a system fails completely. The SF-60 costs $25,970. Wandel & Goltermann Inc, Research Triangle Park, NC. (919) 941-573.